The African education agenda is derived from the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that are of critical importance for humanity. These goals are focused on the welfare of people globally. This agenda will be achieved by mobilizing the resources through a revitalized global partnership for sustainable development. This will also be based on a spirit of global solidarity. This agenda will focus on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable people and with the participation of all countries, all stakeholders and all people.
The SDGs cover different aspects of human welfare, prosperity, climate change and sustainable industrialization. African countries, including Ethiopia, will achieve these goals with determination. Experts are of the opinion that there must be a shift in the public and private educational enterprises in Ethiopia with a clear focus on the curriculum. Focus should also be given for early childhood, kindergarten, elementary, secondary and tertiary education. All stakeholders must, therefore, be adequately consulted to develop an educational agenda that would benefit Ethiopia’s development.
With educational policy, program and actions in place, Ethiopia should be able to tackle poverty, hunger, environmental degradation and other socioeconomic problems. Focus should be given to the minimization and elimination of malpractices, misuse of resources, and corruption that impede sustainable development.
Generally, Africa, including Ethiopia, is one of the most endowed continents with natural resources, but the poorest in the world. The continent has forests, rivers, arable lands, minerals and oil and gas reserves that would enrich it if properly used. It has also the human resources with good educational backgrounds and standards. But when it comes to utilizing these resources for development, then Africa, including Ethiopia, is lagging behind the rest of the world. This situation looks enigmatic, but it is the effect of colonialism and neocolonialist that impeded the continent from exploiting its own resources. These resources have to be reserved for current and future exploitation by the alien powers that have depleted their own resources.
Aware of the global reality, Africans adopted the sustainable development goals to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change and external exploitation in the coming few decades. In line with this situation, Ethiopia has also adopted the goal of reducing poverty, hunger, disease, gender inequality, and improving access to water and sanitation. It has made progress in the application of MDGs, showing the value of the African education agenda.
Despite its efforts like other African countries, the indignity of poverty has not been ended for all the people. Ethiopia has made efforts in driving its development in several critical areas. These include improved income, poverty reduction, accessing improved sources of water, primary school enrollment, and child mortality among others. Observing its successful strides, the alien powers have initiated and financed conflicts within Ethiopia. These are revealed through ethnicity and cultural affiliation externally promoted by alien powers that want to exploit the natural resource of the country.
These forces have their eyes focused on the exploitation of the natural resources of the country while its people are at war with each other. The Ethiopian education system will keep these enemies at bay through educating the youth at levels of education. However, these days, poverty of the Ethiopian people makes them succumb to foreign aid by donors that are the architects of scarcity and paucity in the land of plenty. Though the Ethiopian governments have been addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all the Ethiopian people, the external forces continue to divide and rule the country.
Experts could say that Ethiopia’s enemy is, therefore, its endowment with rich natural resources that attract external powers. Whatever the case may be, Ethiopia plays its role of advancing quality education for all, which will awaken them to unite in avoiding and preventing poverty from the country and from the rest of Africa. The independence of Ethiopia for millennia has always caused terror among neocolonialists that want to exploit Africa. These alien powers have exhausted their natural resources and want to create an economic haven in the continent.
To fulfill the aim of advancing quality education for all Ethiopians, the required resources have to be allocated at levels of education. Teachers should be given honorable status in the Ethiopian society. This status is maintained by raising the morale of educators along with their material benefits. Then, the products of the educational system will be highly qualified and economically and socially productive.
With enhanced productivity, the goals of the economic development of Ethiopia would be achieved in line with the MDGs. The human factor is a very critical input that drives the appropriate technology for the economic sectors of the country. This is true for all African countries that aspire to eliminate poverty, hunger and unemployment from the continent. These measures would help achieve the goals of economic development of Ethiopia and that of the continent.
Students should be aware of the divisive roles played by these forces in Africa, including Ethiopia, in the past. They will also continue in keeping the continent underdeveloped looking for alms and foreign aid. This aggravates dependency on external powers for a long time to come. The African education agenda should, therefore, be formulated taking into account all external factors that impeded development. Of course, the MDGs dream of ensuring that “no nation” is left behind.
Where there are forces that intrude in the economic affairs of developing countries, there is a serious impediment to the political, economic and social development of Africa, including Ethiopia. As mentioned earlier, these alien forces sow the seeds of mutual destruction within African countries. Africans are poised to respond to those who spread conflicts with the goal of making them engaged in wars, skirmishes and civil disturbances at the expense of economic achievements.
Conflicts are prisons in which Africans, including Ethiopians, are discovering new tools of slaughtering each other. As mentioned earlier, the beneficiaries of such evil developments are the alien powers seeking the rich resources of Ethiopia. The citizens of this country have to wake up to the goal and purposes of these vicious powers. That will be the day when Ethiopians wake up to the reality of foreign interventions in their domestic affairs. It will be an important event that leads to an inclusive and sustainable development.
If all Ethiopians, irrespective of ethnic and tribal affinity, work together, they will have an opportunity of achieving their aspirations for peace, prosperity, and preservation of their country. They will also endeavor to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by the 2030 Agenda. The fulfillment of these goals will bring peace and development to Ethiopia.
These goals are: (1) End poverty in all its forms everywhere; (2) End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; (3) Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; (4) Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; (5) Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; (6) Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; (7) Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; (8) Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all; (9) Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation; (10) Reduce inequality within and among countries; (11) Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; (12) Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; (13) Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; (14) Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development; and etc.
The SDGs are aimed to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfill their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment. They are designed to protect the planet from degradation, through sustainable consumption and production.
There is a need to sustainably manage natural resources by taking urgent action on climate change. The SDGs ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature. They also foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies, which are free from fear and violence. There can be “no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.” There is a need to mobilize the means required to implement this Agenda 2030 through a revitalized global partnership for sustainable development. This is to be based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable. All these goals have items that affect the growth and development of Africa, including Ethiopia.
The African Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals are described as “Our Aspirations for the Africa We Want.” Its specific goals are (1) a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development; (2) an integrated continent, politically united and based on the ideals of the Pan-African vision of its renaissance; (3) an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law; (4) a peaceful and secure Africa; (5) an Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics; (6) an Africa where development is people-driven, unleashing the potential of its women and youth; and (7) Africa as a strong, united and influential global player and partner. These aspirations are in agreement with the SDGs. The government of Ethiopia has been committed to fulfilling these goals for the benefit of all Ethiopians.
BY GETACHEW MINAS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2025
